The invention relates to a solid or liquid pre-treatment or pre-spot composition that can promote the removal of stains or soil from fabric during conventional laundering procedures. Detergent pre-treatment or pre-spotting compositions, solids or sticks are known in the art and are known to commonly use solvent materials and typically nonionic surfactants. For example, DiSalvo, U.S. Pat. No. 3,417,023; Kelly, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,962; Steinhauer et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,644; and Sabol, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,762. Each separately claim pre-treatment or pre-spotting compositions containing a small amount of water and a substantial proportion of solvent, nonionic surfactant and a solidification or gelling agent. Borrello, U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,521 teaches liquid aqueous pre-spot or pre-treatment compositions containing about 35 wt % water and substantial water soluble solvent compositions to create a use solution. Such aqueous and solvent based materials are typically less effective on oily hydrophobic soils due to the nature of the soil and its hydrophobicity with respect to the aqueous formulated materials. The solvent based laundry pre-treatment stick is disclosed in Steinhauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,644, comprises a minor amount of water but relatively large percent of immiscible solvent in separate but combined phases. We are also aware of Klier et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,662 and Yang, U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,829, each relating to similar pre-spot or pre-treatment compositions. One liquid detergent composition having a specialized phosphate ester solubilizer is disclosed in Klajnscek, U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,949. The patent discloses preferred formulations for use in a liquid stabilized laundry detergent.
While these prior art pre-spot or pre-treatment compositions have some utility in pre-spotting common household laundry, commercial laundry having large quantities of hydrophobic soils, particularly oily or greasy soils containing substantial quantities of particulate matter, can resist conventional pre-spotting pre-treatments and also resist the effects of conventional laundry detergents even in industrial or commercial laundry machines such as commercial 450 pound wash wheels or tunnel washers. A substantial need exists for improved pre-spotting or pre-treating laundry compositions.